The Year Without Mom
by Darnez
Summary: A short story. 15-year-old Maya Hart is Henry Mills estranged daughter. Certain circumstances forces the troubled teen to move to StoryBrooke with her father's Biological Mother Emma Swan, and foster Mom Regina Mills. The emotional journey will open a lot of old scars, and reveal a lot of dark secrets. AU. Fan Requested. No curse.
1. Chapter 1

"There she was just a-walkin' down the street, singin' "Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do"

"Oh no, Mom stop!" 14-year-old Maya Hart cried as she slammed her hands over her ears. While her mother, Katy was singing along with the taxi radio.

"Snappin' her fingers and shugglin' her feet, singin' "Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do"

"Mom, I swear" Maya sighed, but smiled none the less. She was happy. It's not every day that she got the opportunity to spend some one on one time with her Mom, who was always working, not because she wanted to, but because she HAD to. She was a single Mom of two girls, in fact they were on their way to pick up 4-year old Maddison now. "Mom" She whispered glancing ahead into the rear view mirror where she could see the taxi driver smirking at the two of them. "You're embarrassing me"

"She looked good" Her mother sanged. "Come on Maya. You love this song"

"Used to"

"Still do, please for me, one time for old times sake" Her mother placed her hands together interlocking them, while making a pouty face. "I just want to hear that beautiful voice of yours again"

Maya rolled her eyes. "Fine" She jumped in during the next verse. "Before I knew it she was walkin' next to me, singin' "Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do"  
The mother daughter duo sung happily, while the taxi driver listened. He even nodded his head to the beat. Getting lost in the lyrics he didn't even notice the traffic light turning red. Nor did he notice the big truck headed towards them...

 _Not until it was too late._

All he noticed was the sound of metal crashing together.

The sound of screams.

The scenery outside spinning out of control.

After what seemed like hours, he noticed he was now hanging upside down.

 _Silence_.

Everything was suddenly still.

He tried to look through the rear view mirror but it was shattered.

Glass was everywhere.

He tried to turn his head only to realize that he couldn't move.

He couldn't feel a thing.

"Mom?" He heard a frightened voice call from behind.

"Mom!" It was louder this time. Stronger, and filled with pain.

He heard a sob. "Mom, please wake up, you have to wake up...please be okay" He could tell that the child was crying. "You can't leave me, you can't leave me and Maddie. We need you!"

His heart broke. He opened his mouth to make a sound, but all that exited, was a cough of blood. That can't be good.

He prayed the little girl and her mother was okay in the back seat, but he'd never know.

Soon everything faded to black.


	2. Chapter 2: Lucky

The sound of the flat line would forever remain a part of Maya's memory  
 _Her mother's last breath will as well._  
The doctors told Maya that she was lucky to be alive. The fact that she was able to make it through with nothing more than a few bruises here and there was short of a miracle.  
"Do you have someone we can call? Your father maybe-"  
"No" Maya snapped. She was currently sitting inside of a waiting room. Minutes before she was literally dragged away from her mother's lifeless body. What was she going to do? How was she going to explain to her baby sister that their mother was gone?  
"Please, I know you're sad right now, losing a loved one is never easy, but someone is going to have to take care of you and your sister. I'm only trying to help you before the state gets involved" The hospital's Chaplin carefully explained.  
"There is no one else" The blonde whispered so low that the woman in front of her couldn't hear her.  
"I'm sorry, can you repeat that?"  
The quiet frown Maya wore turned into sobs. "There isn't anyone else. I don't know where my father is, I haven't seen him since Maddie was born... We only had mom, and now _she's gone_!" She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "What's going to happen to us?"  
"Don't worry, everything will be okay" The Chaplin whispered.  
Maya placed her hand over her mouth. She felt like throwing up. Everything was NOT going to be okay, she'd never see her mom again. "Please _don't let anyone tell Maddie that Mom is...gone"_

* * *

48 hours later...  
"Miss Mills, Miss Swan, I'm so sorry to have called you here on such a short notice" A social worker named Kim stated as she invited the two women to sit down in her office.  
"It's fine, you said this was urgent" Emma Swan asked.  
"Indeed. I just wished..." The woman sighed. "I wish it was under different circumstances"  
Regina sat up straighter, expecting the hear the worse. She knew the matter was Henry related, why else would she AND Emma's presence be requested more than 100 miles away from their home?  
"What do you mean?" Emma questioned.  
"Well, your granddaughters-"  
"Excuse me?" Regina questioned confusion written all over her face. "Granddaughters?, we..don't have grandchildren" She looked at Emma who nodded in agreement.  
The social worker frowned, she checked her paper work once more before looking back up at the two women before her.  
"When was the last time you've seen Henry?"  
Regina and Emma both looked up at each other before Regina answered.  
"Well, we haven't seen nor heard from Henry since he was 18, When he finished high-school he gained access to his trust fund that my father left him, then he disappeared"  
"Let's just say that the kid wasn't fond of either of us"  
"But we love him very much. Is he alright?" Regina questioned panicked that something may have happened to her son.  
"I'm sure he's fine. We've tried to contact him on multiple occasions and have been shut down each and every time. We tried to inform him that it was about his children, but he didn't seem to care"  
"His..children?" Emma questioned. "Henry's a father, can we meet them?"  
Regina nodded her head, she wanted to meet them as well. Her mother died when she was 25, and her father 3 months after she adopted Henry. She didn't have anyone left. Up until Henry was 8 and found Emma, she didn't even have a friend. Just a town full of unhappy residents and a son who thought she was an evil queen. She didn't have anyone left.  
"Of course, that's actually what I wanted to talk with the two of you about" The social worker stated as she flipped through the paperwork eagerly. She was beginning to think that maybe the two girls would be able to go home with their grandmothers instead of into a foster home.  
"I understand that you-" She looked up at Regina before refocusing on the paper work in front of her. "You decided to share custody of Henry with Emma when he turned 11"  
"Yes, I thought it would be best, maybe he wouldn't see me as the evil queen anymore" Regina stated sadly before losing herself in memories of Henry's struggling childhood. She only looked up when Emma grabbed her hand.  
"Yes, well, since we cannot get in touch with Henry Mills, and it seems as if he has no interest in the girls...just being honest, I'd like to place them with you, then see about you becoming their legal guardians"  
Emma looked over at Regina, but she didn't speak. Regina did. "We'd love to take them, their our grandchildren, but what-"  
"Oh, I'm so sorry" Kim whispered across the desk. She shook her head. "I didn't tell the two of you the whole story. "Henry has two daughters, Maya whose 15, and Maddison whose 4, Two days ago, Maya was in a head on collision with a four wheeler. Her mother was also in the vehicle, unfortunately, she did not make it, and neither did the taxi driver or the other driver.  
"Oh my God" Regina gasped as she covered her mouth with her hand. "That's horrible, I can't imagine what those kids are going through"  
"Me neither, but we'll help them as much as we can, right Regina?" Emma questioned.  
"Of course"

* * *

 _Her mother wasn't the only person she'd never be able to see again._  
She'd never see her best friend of 10 years ever again either. Luckily, she had been able to spend the weekend at her house while her 'caseworker' tried to contact her father. She was a wreck and felt like dying, but she knew she had to be strong for Maddie.  
Who knew what the future would hold, she just wished her mother was there. She tried so hard not to cry.  
"Maya, where's Mommy?" Her little sister questioned.  
Maya bit her lip. "Mom...She went on vacation Maddie"  
"She'll be back soon though, right? She has to read me my bed time story"  
"Sure..." Maya placed a fake smile on her face. "but how about I read it to you tonight, kay"  
Maddie sighed. "Okay" She liked when her sister read to her, but she wasn't as good as Mommy, _no one was..._

 ** _To be continued..._**

* * *

 **Hey guys,**

 **You have been so nice about this fanfic! Thanks so much I appreciate all of the support XOXOXOX :)**


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